Mountain Feelings
by TheAnomally
Summary: What was going on with Matt Hawkes as Jesse went after T.J. Cousins in the Pilot? He had his Rangers to care for after the avalanche, but what about his Dad? ONESHOT


DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no one; I just remembered how much I loved this show. Been watching the episodes recently and enjoying them WAY more than the shows currently on. HA!

There had been a shot, but only Jesse Hawkes had heard it; the wind and now were muffling most of the noise around them. Another Ranger had fallen; felled by T.J. Cousins who seemed hell bent on luring Jesse Hawkes to a showdown. The tracking party of High Mountain Rangers and Jesse Hawkes slid and scrambled down the mountain. Then they all heard a boom seconds before a wall of snow slammed into them all. Tim Hart worked hard to protect their fallen friend who had been shot just seconds ago; he felt a familiar pain as he tumbled, he knew his shoulder had popped out of the socket. Cutler had been in avalanches before, but this one threw him for a loop, as he fell he felt his leg break before he stopped and blacked out. Matt Hawkes was getting really tired of T.J. Cousins and his little band of fugitives; he was surprised that he only got knocked back by the snow. He quickly got himself out and worked on getting his Dad out as well as the others. He unceremoniously hauled his Dad out of the drift and then crawled over to the others. As he dug Cutler out he heard Tim shouting as his Dad popped the dislocated shoulder back in, mountain medicine was quick, but usually never pain free.

Jesse looked around for his gun. "Cousins is MY problem! You tend to your men!"

With that Jesse high tailed it back up the snowy slope; there was no way he was going to let Cousins shoot anymore Rangers, and especially not his eldest son.

Matt tended to everyone wounds quickly; even the gunshot wound which he packed with snow to slow the bleeding. If they could get the chopper there fast then hopefully everyone would be OK; his mind raced as he worked, and he had to force himself to focus on the task at hand. The Rangers were his responsibility as co-workers, and as friends. Matt then located his own rifle and slung it on his back; he was getting a bad tremor in his chest, and he knew what it meant.

"Hart back track and get to a sheltered area; I think I saw one not too far away from here, hunker down and stay put." He ordered his second in command.

Tim Hart cradled his sore arm. "OK, but where are you going?!"

"To help my Dad, he's in trouble!" Matt said as he hoofed it back up the mountain.

Tim shook his head, he respected Matt Hawkes a lot, but sometimes the tall blond was a little weird. It was like he was one with the pulse of the mountain; watching the man track was something to behold. He could look up at the sky and predict weather changes that always seem to be spot on, and sometimes concerning his Father and Brother, he seemed to know when they were in trouble.

Cutler who shrugged. "You'll get used to that."

Tim wasted no more time doing what Matt told him to do.

Matt felt a pressure on his chest that was more straining than the thin air; he tracked his Dad's steps as far as he could. Tremors started to run up and down his spine and into his brain. The howling wind made it difficult to hear anything; he closed his eyes and focused on the building anxiety strangling his heart and lungs. In an instant he knew where to look; he scrambled up an exposed rock and saw T.J. Cousins standing over his Father. Matt Hawkes did not hesitate to grab his rifle from off his back. He had barely looked through the scope as he fired a few shots up the mountain. He had been trained to shoot at a young age, and his time in the city had not diminished his accuracy one bit. T.J. Cousins and his brother fell back; giving Jesse the opportunity to fight back. The two seasoned mountain men rolled down the mountain; Matt started heading heir way when something told him to stop. He turned and knew for a fact the other Rangers needed him more than his Dad did now. He only hoped that Cody's foolhardy but honorable rescue mission ended well; he would have to have a word with Robin about leaving her duties to follow his Toad of a younger brother.


End file.
